Effect of cooling patterns on microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled Nb microalloyed multiphase steel plates

The effect of the run-out table cooling patterns on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Nb microalloyed steel plates was investigated by hot rolling experiment. The results showed that the mixed microstructure containing ferrite, bainite and significant amounts of retained austenite can be obtained through three kinds of cooling patterns on the run-out table under the same hot rolling condition. Three kinds of cooling patterns possess different austenite transformation kinetics, which leads to variations in microconstituent characteristics. The yield strength increases, the tensile strength decreases and the total elongation tends to increase as the cooling patterns I, II and III were applied respectively. The yield strength, the total elongation and the product of tensile strength and ductility reach the maximum values (547 MPa, 37.2% and 28 384 MPa · %, respectively) for the steel plate processed by cooling pattern III. © 2011 Central Iron and Steel Research Institute.